


Of Mead and Men

by Jabean



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Hogwarts, F/M, Fluff and Dragons, Post-Hogwarts, Romanian Dragon Sanctuary (Harry Potter), the best combination
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25981480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jabean/pseuds/Jabean
Summary: After a somewhat nasty break-up with her Ministry worker boyfriend and being stood up by both Harry and Ron for friendly drinks at the pub, Hermione finds herself on an alcohol-fueled romantic whirlwind adventure with Charlie Weasley.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Charlie Weasley
Comments: 101
Kudos: 280





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... this started as a Tumblr prompt I was given, and I’ve decided to run with it, as they say. 
> 
> Hugely massive thank you to my alpha **fbbbgirl** and my Brit-picker/beta **Lunamionny**
> 
> I can be reached on Tumblr. You can find me [here](https://jabean21.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Please do be kind.
> 
> Enjoy! ❤️

Hermione sat at the four-person booth, facing the door and nursing her mug of mead as she waited for Harry and Ron to arrive. She had been checking her diary repeatedly over the last two hours since she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, making certain that she had the correct date and time.

She had. They must just be busy.

Perhaps they’d got a call to the Auror Department that just couldn’t wait.

She took a sip of her mead as her mind whirred with the possibilities of whatever it was that could keep her friends from sending a quick Patronus to let her know they’d be running late.

_A bit inconsiderate,_ she thought to herself. She had repeatedly dropped everything to help _them_ when they’d needed someone to rant to about their tumultuous relationships. The least they could do was be there for her when she’d ditched Cormac after finding out he had fathered a child with some other witch during their time together.

_Four years._

Four years, and it was all for nought.

An absolute waste of time.

She allowed herself a quiet sob as she finished the last of her mead.

Perhaps she should just leave. Have a good cry in the bath with a good book and a bottle of wine.

_Alone._

Hermione reached behind herself, fumbling with her coat and searching for the sleeve opening, having made up her mind.

A warm bubble bath on a blustery night like tonight sounded absolutely splendid.

“Hermione?” A familiar voice sounded to her right as she tugged on her first sleeve.

She looked up, expecting to see one of her friends, and spotted Charlie Weasley clutching two large mugs of Bungbarrel Spiced Mead and giving her a warm – and slightly inebriated – smile.

“Charlie!” She swiped at her cheek, erasing any evidence of her heartache, and painted on a grin for him. “What’re you doing here?”

She could’ve sworn he was still working in Romania.

Charlie plopped down on the seat across from her and slid one mug of mead across the table towards her. “Buying you a drink,” he told her kindly. “Spotted you sitting here all by yourself for the last hour, love.” A pause. “What’s up? What brought you into this fine establishment on an evening like this?”

Raucous cheering sounded from somewhere nearby. 

Hermione grinned at his term of endearment, warmth pooling in her belly. She ignored the loud swearing from a couple of blokes a few tables away from her booth, one of whom slid a handful of galleons across to their mates. 

Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, Charlie had taken to calling Hermione ‘love’. Made a _point_ of it even, the handful of times they had bumped into each other during the annual Weasley shindigs that Molly insisted everyone was invited to.

“I was supposed to meet your brother and Harry here for a few drinks, actually.” She took a sip of the mead he bought her. Savouring the spicy beverage before swallowing the strong alcohol.

“Oh?” Surprise flashed on his face as he watched her closely, taking a drink of his own mead. “Is there a special occasion that needs celebrating?”

Hermione chuckled dryly, giving him a nod of her head. “I ditched Cormac. Surely that’s cause for celebration?” She questioned him uncertainly, before raising a single brow.

A snort. Charlie grinned. “It is!” He gave her a questioning look. “Any particular reason you finally left the git?”

Pursing her lips for a moment at the insult, Hermione nodded once again. “I found out he has a fifteen-month old son, named Tiberius. Found out when we were shopping in Diagon Alley for engagement rings, actually.”

Silence. Shock.

“Shit… Hermione.” Charlie seemed to sober up instantly. Quicker than one would drinking a sober-up potion. “When was this?”

Hermione looked down at the table between them. “Couple of weeks ago. Couldn’t find a time that worked for all of us to get together until tonight.”

“Shit,” he repeated. “I’m sorry that you had to deal with that alone, Hermione.” His eyes full of concern.

Shrugging, Hermione took a peek at the dragon keeper. “It is what it is.” She took a long drink of her mead. “I just kinda wanted to forget it all, actually. Forget him.”

Charlie nodded slowly in understanding. “I get it.” He looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “I’m here with some mates. Just arrived in England a few hours ago. Wasn’t going to pop into the Burrow until tomorrow morning and surprise mum… you know how she is.” A sigh. “Did you wanna come and sit with us? Get plastered with company, rather than on your own?”

Hermione swallowed, her throat tight, searching Charlie’s eyes for any sort of indication that he didn’t actually mean his offer. But all she could see was honesty. “Yeah.”

Standing up, Charlie offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. He grabbed her coat and led her towards the table with the loud group of men, and a handful of women, that had been laughing loudly earlier. Pitchers of cheap beer and mead were strewn about the table, amongst a plate or two of fish and chips.

Clutching her mug of mead, Hermione greeted the table with a nod. Charlie grabbed a chair from nearby and dragged it next to the empty seat he must’ve vacated earlier.

“This is Hermione, everyone,” he told the table. “She’d like to forget her arsehole boyfriend for the night,” he said as he helped Hermione into her chair.

“Ex-boyfriend,” she quietly corrected Charlie.

He grinned. “Ex-boyfriend. My bad.” He sat down next to her and placed an arm on the back of her chair, brushing gently against her shoulders.

Everyone sitting at the large table held up their pints of beer and mugs of mead. “To forgetting the arseholes!” They collectively yelled out before gulping down their respective drinks.

Hermione chuckled in shock, sharing a look with Charlie as he peered at her over his own mug.

“Drink up, love,” he chided her kindly. “It’s the rules.”

Hermione scrunched up her nose before bringing her mug of mead closer to her mouth. “Bottoms up,” she muttered as she took a long swig of her drink.

She hoped she had a vial or two of sober-up potion in her medicine cabinet at her flat. She had a feeling this was going to be one of those nights.

~ | ~

“You set Snape on fire?” A bloke with a name Hermione had forgotten hours earlier questioned her loudly.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, popping a cold, soggy chip into her mouth. “In my first year!”

She washed it down with another slurp of her mead. Her fifth of the night.

Or was it her sixth? _Seventh?_

Chuckling could be heard ringing in her ears.

A commotion at the entrance to the pub. The doorway burst open, allowing entry to a large bloke with a massive belly and long beard with a pitchfork in his clenched hand.

His shiny eyes searched desperately around the pub for someone. “We got a dragon roaming around in Dorset,” he gasped to the pub. “Was told there was a dragon keeper here.”

“Shit,” Charlie pushed back from the table. A couple of others did so as well. “You got a few here.” He gestured to the man. “That pitchfork likely won’t do much other than aggravate her.”

Hermione cautiously stood up from the table.

“I thought…” A gasp for breath as the bearded man clutched at the door frame. “I just thought…”

“That a dragon would be a fantastic pet to have?” Barnaby, one of Charlie’s friends, chided the man as he handed out a couple of vials of clear liquid to Charlie and Emilie, another of Charlie’s fellow dragon keepers. 

“You got any more of those?” Charlie asked Barnaby as he threw on his coat.

A shake of his head. “I just brought enough for the three of us.”

Charlie handed his vial to Hermione. “You need it more than me.”

Hermione clutched the vial tightly in her hand. “Charlie –”

“Drink up, love. We will likely need you. Three of us are nowhere near enough to tame this lizard.” A beat as he watched her swallow the sober-up potion. “This won’t be my first rodeo with a dragon while three-quarters bevvied.”

“Are you sure?” Hermione asked him, even though it was already too late. She tied her coat tightly and tugged on her gloves. Checked that her wand was still in her holster on her wrist.

“Yeah.”

“Where in Dorset?”

“North of Christchurch. ‘Bout thirty clicks.”

Charlie grabbed Hermione’s hand and pulled her towards the exit. “I’ll be back tomorrow or the next day to pay my tab, Tom.”

“It’s no problem Charlie!”

Stepping out into the chilly air, Hermione turned to look at Charlie, who had tugged her hand tightly once they reached the street.

“Three, two, one.”

They Disapparated with a sharp crack.

The next second they were in Dorset. The lights of Christchurch sparkled off in the distance.

“It’s a fucking baby!” Emilie called out.

Hermione turned to look in her direction. Eyes huge as she spotted a somewhat large Hebridean Black fighting off a handful of sheep farmers who were brandishing pitchforks, spears and wands.

“Charlie...” Hermione was worried. She knew from her work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that this particular dragon was exceptionally aggressive.

“Keep your eyes open and wand at the ready,” Charlie informed her as he took in the situation. Hermione could see he was thinking hard. Likely attempting to come up with a plan of action for the keepers and herself.

He began inching towards the dragon.

The _terrified_ infant dragon.

“Get these arseholes out of here!” Charlie called out to his team, stepping away from Hermione.

Hermione watched as the farmers fled the area without waiting for an actual order.

“We need a sheep!” Barnaby called out. “She’s hungry. Starving… What have these fuckers been feeding her?”

Hermione searched around the pitch black pasture, spotting absolutely nothing. _“Accio_ sheep!” It was worth a try.

Off in the distance, she spotted something moving quickly towards her through the air. Its shape was indiscernible in the darkness.

A quiet bleat in protest.

A fluffy sheep landed at her feet.

“Found one!”

Emilie ran over to her with a large grin on her face. “Fantastic! Thanks Granger!”

She led the sheep nearer to where Charlie and Barnaby were standing in front of the hungry Hebridean.

“Might have to kill it,” Charlie told Emilie once they reached shouting distance from them. “This sweetheart is exhausted. Irritated.”

Hermione winced as Emilie moved her wand in a slicing motion, cutting deep into the sheep’s neck and killing it instantly.

“Here darling,” Emilie began cooing to the dragon, floating the deceased sheep closer to it. “A nighttime snack for being such a good girl.”

The dragon hobbled over, unused to using its hind legs. Either that or it was injured, Hermione wasn’t certain.

A strange cooing sounded from the infant as it began feasting on its meal.

She watched as Charlie began gently rubbing its neck, checking her scales for any sort of infection.

“She’s malnourished,” he muttered quietly. He looked over towards Hermione and gestured for her to come closer to him. “You see?” He pointed out a few scales that were slightly discoloured compared to the rest of the black dragon.

Hermione nodded. “They're grey-ish in colour.”

“They feel different, too.” Charlie reached a hand out and gently placed her hand on the neck of the dragon as it munched away on its food, unbothered by the attention. “Give her a rub in the direction of her scales. Don’t want to irritate her too much.”

Hermione cautiously moved her hand down the dragon’s neck, taking in the texture of the scales. When she reached the grey patch she noticed how they felt different. Pliant almost. “They’re softer,” she told Charlie quietly, careful not to speak too loudly.

He hummed, nodding his head in agreement. “Infection most likely. She might have had a leash around her neck at one point that could have damaged her scales.” He frowned, shaking his head. “You never ever put an infant in a leash. Their scales are still developing. Forming. Younglings are incredibly vulnerable because of that. They’re easier to hurt. Kill.”

She watched Charlie as he continued to lecture her about dragon keeping.

Charlie stopped after a moment. His cheeks pink, no doubt from the alcohol. He stared down at the ground. “I’m sorry,” he told her quietly as he met her eyes once again.

Hermione frowned. “For what?”

A quiet chuckle. “For rambling on about my lizards.”

“Charlie…” Hermione shook her head at him. “I like when you ramble on about them.”

“Yeah?” He couldn’t hide his surprise at her statement.

“Very much.”

Hermione watched as his face split into a large grin. She returned it with one of her own.

She was going to be alright, Hermione realised. 

It was time she began her next great adventure.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Hermione slipped in through the front door of the Burrow, tugging off her gloves and unwinding her scarf from around her neck. She could hear chatter in the nearby kitchen as she tucked them in her coat pockets. Molly’s shrill voice, Charlie’s calm responses. Arthur’s too.

Exhaling slowly just outside the kitchen and giving herself an extra few seconds to prepare to face the wrath that was Molly Weasley, she readjusted the strap of her rucksack before cautiously pushing open the door.

“And just who have you already found to replace him? You’ve only been here for a week!” Molly was on a roll. One hand on her hip, the other waving around a large wooden spatula as she interrogated Charlie from where she stood in front of the hob.

Charlie gave Hermione a slow grin as he reached for his mug of coffee, taking a sip and making a point of taking in her appearance. Focusing on the rucksack on her shoulder and the boots on her feet. 

Hermione cleared her throat. “Apologies for barging in, Molly. Your cooking smells amazing, I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s no problem dear,” Molly replied without looking at her, focusing on the sausages and hash browns in the frying pans. “We’ve plenty to go around. I’ll scramble up some eggs for us all as well.”

Pulling out a chair, Hermione slipped her rucksack off of her shoulders and placed it on the floor. She hung her coat on the back of her chair before taking a seat at the table and peering at both Charlie and Arthur. Both were grinning at her with amusement shining in their eyes.

“Good morning, Hermione,” Arthur greeted her kindly.

“Morning Arthur.”

Charlie hummed. “So you’ve made a decision then, love?” He nodded in the general direction of her bag.

“I have,” Hermione confirmed with a grin. “Handed in my notice at the beginning of the week and then took my two weeks of paid holiday starting Monday. I’m all yours Charlie Weasley.”

“All yours?” Molly spun around, eyes wide in shock. “Handed in your notice… Hermione… What is going on?” _Both_ hands were on her hips now.

_Oh Merlin._

Hermione took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for Molly’s objections. “I decided to take Charlie up on his offer and become a dragon keeper. I’ve already got the required certificates, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures insists on it. I just have the academic part left, but that starts in two weeks at the sanctuary.” She tilted her chin up slightly, holding firm.

Molly blinked. Frowned. “But… What does Cormac think of all this? Surely he wouldn’t approve of you being so far away! A wedding must be coming up for the two of you one of these days. Perhaps this summer.” She made a point of looking at Hermione’s bare ring finger. “You’re acting far too rash, dear. It’s time to settle down. Start a family.”

“Mum –”

“It’s true!” Molly waved away Charlie’s protestation. “A dragon sanctuary is no place for a young witch.”

“Oi!” Charlie cut her off. “What kind of rubbish is that? The sanctuary employs plenty of witches. Almost half of our keepers are witches. The lizards like them far better than the blokes,” he reassured Hermione.

Molly just shook her head. “Think of Cormac dear,” she implored Hermione.

Hermione swallowed a rude retort and painted on a small smile. “I ditched Cormac weeks ago. Left him with his fifteen-month old son and mistress in Diagon Alley. My rental contract is finished in a week. I’ve already informed my landlord that I am gone. My household items are in my vault at Gringotts. My parents are in Australia and will never ever know that I exist.” She shrugged, blinking away her stinging eyes. Her unshed tears. “I have absolutely nothing keeping me here.” 

“But –”

“Your eggs are starting to burn.” She wouldn’t discuss her heartbreak with the matronly witch. Refused to. It was still too raw for her to think about very much.

“I think it’s a splendid idea,” Arthur told her as Molly turned her attention back to the eggs. “Everyone knows you care deeply for magical creatures, what better way to further your love for them than by helping them directly?” A pause as he slurped his coffee. “And who knows… perhaps in a few years you’ll meet a young wizard who has a heart as big as yours.” His eyes were twinkling in amusement.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat at his teasing. She stole a glance at Charlie who was hiding most of his face behind his hand, his ears pink. She gave him a cautious smile. “Perhaps.”

Fighting a grin, Charlie cleared his throat. “We’ll leave after breakfast. I need to stop by Bill and Fleur’s place… he’ll kick my arse if I don’t. And, I need to be there to help our girl from last week.”

Hermione gave him a curt nod. “Of course.”

“Just until we know she’s stabilised. A day or two tops.” Charlie frowned as Molly began bringing the late breakfast over to the table. “After that, I’ll show you around the village. You’ll need to pick up some gear.”

“Books too,” Hermione added on.

“Books too,” Charlie confirmed with a chuckle.

“What happened with the dragon? You never did say,” Molly asked her son quietly as she scooped herself up some hash browns.

Charlie shook his head. “Some fool decided it was a great idea to have an infant female Hebridean Black as a pet.” He grabbed a couple of sausages from the pan. “Likely to breed and sell the eggs on the black market for a hefty profit.”

“Whereabouts did you find her?” Arthur asked him.

Hermione finished scooping her eggs onto her plate and grabbed the bottle of brown sauce. “Dorset.”

“Dorset?” Molly questioned alertly. 

Charlie nodded. “Yep.”

“Is that what brought you home?”

Hermione watched as Charlie winced. “No. I got in the evening before I showed up here actually. A couple of our keepers got engaged and they came here to tell their families the news in person. Ended up at the Leaky Cauldron after Barnaby’s parents threatened to disown him for wanting to marry a Muggle-born witch, which wasn’t a surprise to be honest.” He shook his head in annoyance. “I tagged along because we’re going to be short staffed come breeding season in a few months.” He focused on Hermione once again. “I left a draft of a job description in your office a few days ago saying that we were searching for five or six people for temp work.”

“I saw it when I handed in my resignation,” Hermione told him. “Harold was reading over it when I arrived.”

“Good.” Charlie nodded absentmindedly. He took a bite of his eggs, and after a moment or two asked, “You find out why Harry and Ron stood you up at all?” 

She nodded. “‘Sighting of a wanted fugitive in Madrid’ was what the Auror Office said. I asked when I dropped off my ‘goodbye’ letter to them.”

“A thief is what I heard,” Arther chimed in thoughtfully. “Or a smuggler, I can’t quite recall.”

“Probably Mundungus Fletcher,” Molly said in distaste, shaking her head.

Charlie was fighting to hold back a chuckle. “You still hate him, mum?”

“You can’t just break into one’s home and steal the family heirlooms. All that history, gone! It’s barbaric!” She shook her head at Hermione. “I’m surprised Harry hasn’t arrested him and thrown him in Azkaban for what he did.”

“Well… he was quite angry at the time,” Hermione reassured her. “Threatened him if I remember correctly.” Of course, that had only been because Dung had _also_ stolen the locket. But it didn’t matter. Not any longer.

“Good. I knew there was a reason why I liked that boy,” Molly replied with a grin.

~ | ~

“How was mum with all this?” Bill asked them as he held onto Victoire, who was clutching the new stuffed dragon that Charlie had given her. Fleur was on a brunch date with a few of her girlfriends, catching up.

“Not as bad as I thought she was going to be,” Hermione replied, looking between the brothers. “I’m actually surprised she didn’t try to set me and Ron up for the hundredth time upon learning about mine and Cormac’s break-up, as a way of keeping me in England. I can’t imagine what she would do if she ever learned that the two of us actually snogged during the Battle of Hogwarts.” Hermione shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Charlie laughed loudly. “You’d get the poofy wedding dress that’s been passed down generation after generation of the Prewett family.”

“Poofy wedding dress?” Hermione questioned the brothers. She hadn’t ever heard about that before.

Bill chuckled. “She tried to get Fleur to wear it for our wedding and she flat-out refused. It’s hideous, Hermione. The ugliest thing I have ever seen.” A pause. “It’s probably why she doesn’t like Fleur much. One of the reasons at least.”

“Why were you wondering about how mum reacted?” Charlie questioned him thoughtfully. “Dad’s the one who suggested Hermione and I get together.”

“In a few years,” Hermione added on for Bill’s benefit. “At least he was respectful enough in that sense.”

Bill merely raised a brow at his brother and shook his head, sharing a look that left Hermione clueless. He sighed after a moment. “Me, Fleur, and Victoire went over to the Burrow for a quiet dinner a few weeks ago,” he began quietly. “Andy and Teddy were there. Mum tried to set up the kids. Andy just about lost it. Said mum was no different than her family, the Blacks. That if she tried any of that traditional Pure-blood rubbish around Teddy or her again, they were gone. No more family dinners. No gatherings. _Nothing.”_

He booped Victoire’s nose with a thumb. “After we’d got home, we’d never heard mummy swear so much before, had we?”

Victoire shook her head enthusiastically. “Mama has a potty mouth.” She sighed dramatically. “I like Teddy’s hair when it’s blue.”

“Yes… that’s your favourite colour, isn’t it?” Charlie asked Victoire with a grin.

She gave him a huge smile that scrunched up her nose, nodding sleepily. “It’s pretty.” She gave her dragon a tight squeeze and rubbed her eyes with a fist. “Sleepy daddy.”

“We should be heading off,” Charlie told Hermione quietly. “Our Portkey leaves in a couple hours. I still need to pay my tab off at the Leaky. I almost forgot actually with everything going on.”

Bill chuckled, readjusting his daughter on his hip. “Charlie liquored you up Hermione?”

Hermione waved his teasing off. “I wasn’t the only one he was paying for. I just stuck with the Bungbarrel Spiced Mead he offered me. And it was only… what? Five mugs?”

Charlie narrowed his eyes. “I have no idea. Something like that. Paid for Barnaby and Emelie’s drinks as well. And the food for everyone.” He cleared his throat, a wry grin on his face. “Had to pick up a hangover potion before I dropped in at the Burrow the next morning.”

“Just like old times,” Bill chimed in knowingly. “Mum still has no idea we did that stuff constantly as teens, bless her heart. Dad definitely does though.”

Charlie nodded in agreement. “He kept refilling my coffee mug. Never had so much coffee before in my life.”

Bill chuckled. Hermione snickered. 

“We should go.” She waved to a sleepy Victoire. “Bye bye, sweetheart.”

“Bye ‘Ermione. Bye Uncle Charlie.” A big yawn.

“Bye Victoire. I’ll definitely see you at Christmas, alright?”

She nodded.

Hermione watched as Charlie and Bill said their goodbyes to one another.

“Have fun. Be safe.” Bill looked at her pointedly. “And listen to Charlie. _Always.”_

“Will do. Take care Bill.”

Hermione followed Charlie out the door and down the path to the edge of the wards. He paused, allowing her to catch up with him, reaching his hand back behind himself for her to grab onto.

“Three, two, one.”

They Disapparated with a crack.

~ | ~

Hermione took one last look around the Ministry of Magic. It would be months before she set foot in this place again. After five years of working at the Ministry, it felt strange to know that tomorrow morning she would be waking up in another country. That she would be working in a location unlike anywhere she had experienced before.

She exhaled slowly, peering up at Charlie who was watching her closely. Knowingly.

“Ready?” He checked in with her quietly as they made their way into the portkey office.

She gave him a shaky nod of her head. “Yeah. It’s just… _five_ _years_ I’ve worked here.”

“It’s a big change,” Charlie admitted. “But, I truly believe that you’ll be a fantastic keeper. You’re so much more than a secretary, love.” A beat. “Not that there's anything _wrong_ with wanting to be a secretary. I just mean that you didn’t get top marks at Hogwarts even with all that shit going on, just to push parchment around for Harold Macmillan until he eventually retires in a few decades.”

Hermione nodded in understanding. It had been a cushy job, but not at all challenging for her. It had provided a nice break to give herself time to find and heal herself after the terror they had all experienced during their last few years at Hogwarts.

Another exhale. “I’m ready.” She readjusted her rucksack strap and gave Charlie a curt nod of her head. 

A slow grin erupted on the redhead’s face. “Well that’s good to hear, because we’re leaving in a few minutes.” A quiet chuckle as he led her further into the office towards the waiting official.

“Good afternoon,” a young wizard clutching a clipboard greeted them boredly. “Names?”

“Charles Weasley and Hermione Granger.” Charlie paused. “For the one o’clock portkey.”

Hermione raised a brow at the official as he blinked in shock at her. This was something she was looking forward to leaving behind: the recognition and wonder. One third of the ‘Golden Trio’ and the ‘Brightest Witch of Her Age’, according to Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet.

She wanted to be _just_ Hermione. Nothing more, nothing less.

“I… uh… yeah, of course.” The young wizard fumbled with his clipboard. “I got you here. Charles Weasley, plus one.”

“Good,” Charlie replied pleasantly, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Which portkey is ours? Only a minute to spare. I’d hate to have to wait for the four o’clock one. My dragon could be hurt.”

Hermione bit her lip, holding back her chuckle, and thankful for Charlie’s subtle push for the official to do his job.

“Of course, sir!” The official grabbed a tin mug. “This is yours. Taking you to the Ministry in Bucharest.”

Charlie grabbed it and held it out for Hermione to clutch onto.

Clasping the handle, Hermione locked eyes with Charlie just as the portkey activated, taking them both away.

~ | ~

Landing with a stumble, Hermione looked around in awe at the Welcome Room in Bucharest’s Ministry of Magic. 

“Wow, Charlie.” She couldn’t hide her shock at the elaborate detailing around the room. The rich colours of the velvet curtains, beautifully carved stonework on the pillars and walls, and the intricate gold fixtures. It was absolutely breathtaking.

A quiet chuckle. “It’s definitely something to see, isn’t it?” he agreed with her as he handed the used portkey to the Romanian official. 

“Welcome back, Mister Weasley. Miss.” The official greeted them both kindly.

Charlie guided Hermione out of the room and through the remainder of the small building. “The Ministry is probably the most regal-looking place here. Romania is nowhere near as wealthy as Britain,” he reminded her quietly.

Hermione nodded in understanding. “Of course.”

“We’ll have a quick jaunt over to the sanctuary just outside Săcele,” Charlie continued as they left the Ministry. “I’ll see if I can get Andrei to set you up in a dwelling. They might not be ready yet, though. I’ve got an extra room in my cabin if need be. No worries.”

“Săcele?” She asked him, unfamiliar with the place.

A hum. “It’s close to Brașov.” He squeezed her hand. “You’ll need to hang on tightly. I need to bring you through the wards as we Disapparate. Normally our guests and new staff arrive by floo.”

Hermione’s eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around her snuggly. She clutched onto his torso, squeezing him. Telling him without words that she was ready.

“Three, two, one.” They were off with a crack.

Hermione winced as she felt the wards pushing against the pair of them. She held onto Charlie tightly as he carefully brought them through to the sanctuary.

“Charlie!” A male voice cried out in greeting.

Hermione blinked her eyes open, finding herself in a small arrivals hall. Rustic wooden beams and warmth from the massive fireplace nearby greeted her.

Charlie loosened his grip on Hermione. “Andrei. This is Hermione, the witch I told you about last night over the floo. The potential keeper-in-training.”

Hermione grinned at the man as he shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Andrei.”

“You as well, Hermione.” 

“Did Barnaby, Emilie, and the others arrive alright? Is the dragon okay?” Charlie cut right to the chase.

“Yes, yes. They arrived the morning after we were notified of the escaped dragon. Everything is fine. Just a bit of frostbite on her toes – they had run into a blizzard above Switzerland,” Andrei explained to Charlie. He frowned at Hermione. “We are not ready to house Miss Granger. One week.”

“It’s no problem,” Charlie assured him. “Hermione can stay with me for the time being.”

“Ah.” Andrei was grinning. “Fun times, yes?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Teasingly.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake,” Hermione complained with a grin of her own, her cheeks no doubt pink from embarrassment. “All you men think the same thing.”

Charlie was chuckling at her reaction. As was Andrei.

“I’ll leave Andrei to show you around, love,” Charlie informed her after their laughter died down. “I’d like to check in on our new lizard.” He frowned, looking down at his watch. “I probably won’t be finished in time for dinner. But, I will bring some food back to my cabin later on. How does that sound?”

Hermione nodded. “That’s perfect, I’m not hungry at all. Your mum’s breakfast was quite filling.”

Charlie gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before hurrying out of the arrivals hall.

Hermione quirked her head at Andrei and gave him a friendly grin. “Alright, Andrei. Show me where everything is.” 

She hooked her hand in his offered elbow and they were off, exploring the dragon sanctuary and all it had to offer.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Hermione sat on the worn sofa, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a large tomb in the other. She was rereading _From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon-Keeper’s Guide,_ which she had found on Charlie’s bookcase. A book that she hadn’t read since Hagrid’s short foray into dragon keeping with Norbert, in her first year.

She smiled at the memory, placing her almost empty mug down on the coffee table to flip the page.

A sharp crackle and hiss came from the logs in the fireplace. The orange flickering flames brought warmth to the little cabin on what was a chilly night in the Carpathian Mountains.

She heard the sound of boots scuffing and stomping on the wooden porch just outside. The cabin door was pushed open moments later.

Charlie made his way inside, carrying a large paper bag in one hand and his wand in the other. “It’s icy out there,” he said in greeting, as he clipped his wand back in its holster on his arm. 

Hermione closed the book and placed it gently on the coffee table next to her mug. “The snow was falling quite hard when I came down here from the Centre.”

Placing the bag on the table, Charlie gave her a smile. “It’s not too bad now. Just slippery. I brought us some dinner.” He pointed to the bag. “There’s some tocană – which is a stew. It’s absolutely delicious on a cold day. There is also a dish of mămăligă that pairs with it. It’s a sort of cornmeal porridge.” He peeled off his rucksack and placed it next to the sofa. “I need to have a quick wash. I smell like a giant bottle of Murtlap Essence.” He grimaced dramatically as he headed towards the bathroom.

“Did you want me to set the table?” Hermione called out as she peeked into the bag. The containers of food looked similar to the Muggle takeaway contraptions she was familiar with back home.

“Nah.” There was the sound of a tap running. “I rarely sit at the dining table. I only got it when mum and dad came for a visit.”

Hermione nodded to herself in understanding. She rarely sat at her little table either. Instead, she’d curl up on the sofa and would either talk with Cormac about her day or would entertain herself with a novel if alone.

She picked up her mug of hot chocolate, finished the last of it, and made her way towards the little kitchen. “I’m going to make myself another hot chocolate. Did you want a mug?” It was the least she could do.

“Yes please!” Charlie answered her through the closed door. 

A quick _scourgify,_ and the cleaned pot was placed back on the hob. Hermione reached into the cupboard for the canister of cocoa powder, then retrieved a bottle of milk from the icebox.

She began humming to herself as she started making the comforting drink. It was a childhood favourite of hers that her parents occasionally allowed as a reward for good marks prior to going to Hogwarts.

Letting her mind wander as she stirred the chocolatey mixture, Hermione thought about all she had learned today – her first day at the sanctuary. 

The Centre consisted of not only the arrivals hall that she and Charlie had Apparated into that afternoon, but also numerous offices, a dining hall with an attached games room, and a library. The medical facility – capable of treating most calamities – was attached to the far end of the Centre, closest to the dragons. The cabins and other lodgings for the staff, both full-time and seasonal, were at the furthest point from the dragons.

Hermione heard the shower shut off just as the hot chocolate was ready. She carefully ladled the steaming drink into the mugs and carried them over to the coffee table as Charlie exited the bathroom, freshly showered, and wearing a knitted jumper and a pair of loose trousers.

“Gosh. Thanks love,” Charlie voiced from the little kitchen. “Did you want me to grab you a glass of water? I was going to get myself one.”

Hermione shook her head. “I’m good. I’ve been drinking water all afternoon.”

The two of them settled down next to one another on the sofa, Charlie handing her a spoon as he reached into the large paper bag holding their food.

“I think this dish is my favourite,” Charlie informed Hermione as he passed her her portion of the Tocană and mămăligă.

“Oh?” Hermione asked him as she popped open the container.

A hum. “It’s similar to mum’s stew. Just a bit more tomatoey.”

Hermione’s eyes grew wide as she took a small bite of her food. It _was_ delicious. “Charlie… this is _so_ good.”

He chuckled quietly. “Kinda like mum’s, right?”

Hermione couldn’t do anything but nod. It was the perfect meal for a cold day.

A few minutes passed in silence as they consumed their dinner.

“So… you and Ron snogged, huh?” Charlie questioned her as he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

Hermione huffed tiredly, refusing to look at him. “Yeah. Once.” She popped another spoonful of her dinner in her mouth and munched on it instead of expanding further. She took a peek at Charlie who was watching her with a grin.

“Why?”

She couldn’t hide her shock at the question. _“Why?”_ Perhaps she hadn’t heard him correctly.

“Yeah. Why would you snog Ron, of all people?” He was watching her as he continued to chomp on his stew.

Hermione hummed for a moment. “Normally people ask me why I _haven’t_ gotten together with Ron. Or Harry for that matter. They don’t ask me why I _would_ snog them.” She swallowed, contemplating her answer while pushing her food around in its container. “During the battle… emotions were running rampant. I had a feeling Harry wasn’t going to survive it and I knew that if _he_ didn’t, _I_ wouldn’t either.” She sniffed. “Anyway, at some point in the battle, Ron brought up the house elves. Said we should try to protect them.” She shrugged, grinning as she shook her head at Charlie. “I couldn’t help myself. I snogged him right then and there.”

He was chuckling quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. “You snogged him because of bloody house elves?”

She started snickering. “I did.” She couldn’t contain her laughter any longer. It took her a few minutes to bring herself back under control once again. “That was the one and _only_ time we snogged.”

Charlie hummed in understanding as the two of them continued to enjoy their meal for a few more minutes. “Was that because he abandoned you and Harry while you were all on your Horcrux hunt?”

Hermione quirked her head at Charlie. It was something the three of them had agreed to not discuss with anyone. Not even Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic, knew of this particular detail. “How’d you know about that?”

Charlie gave her a pointed look, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. “He showed up at Shell Cottage alone. Bill isn’t an idiot, he informed me of what happened after it was all said and done. He can put two-and-two together, as can I. I know my baby brother, love.” A pause as he chose his words carefully. “I know he can be an arse sometimes. I’ve gotten secondhand accounts from Gin almost all throughout your guys’ time at Hogwarts. I am well-aware that he abandoned you both before during the Triwizard Tournament. I was there for a bit of it, looking after my lizards, love. I know he’s gone out of his way to cut you out of his and Harry’s friendship repeatedly. I also know he can sometimes get incredibly nasty when things don’t go his way.”

There was a silence for a few moments as Hermione pondered Charlie’s question.

“That’s part of the reason, I suppose. Ron leaving.” Hermione frowned. “I just wasn’t attracted to him anymore. Not even in the slightest.” She shrugged. “He was upset that I wanted to go back to Hogwarts to finish my seventh year. Confused as to why I would do that. I mean… this is _me_ we are talking about. I don’t think anyone was surprised that I went back, except for Ron. It’s like he didn’t even know me after… everything. He didn’t understand why I wouldn’t just use that whole ‘Golden Trio’ rubbish to get any job I wanted.”

Charlie hummed noncommittally. “Is that where you met Cormac?” He asked her quietly as he ate another spoonful of tocană. “When you went back to finish your seventh year?”

Hermione shook her head. “He was a year ahead of me actually. He had already graduated when You-Know-Who took control of the school after Dumbledore was killed.” She pushed around her food, no longer hungry.

“How’d you two meet then? After Hogwarts? At the Ministry? He works there, right?”

Hermione gave Charlie a sad smile. “I actually went to Slughorn's Christmas party with Cormac in my sixth year. He wouldn’t stop asking me. Eventually I gave in.” Sighing tiredly, she continued. “That party with him was horrible. He was really handsy with me. Pushy. He made me uncomfortable. After I began working at the Ministry, I bumped into him. He works in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He appeared to have matured. Actually apologised to me for his behaviour at that ridiculous party, if you can believe it.” 

She shook her head at herself, realising that he had only done so to get closer to her; to get closer to the ‘Brightest Witch of Her Age’. “He showed me attention when no one else really did.” A sniff as she felt her emotions begin to unravel. “Merlin, what a bastard.”

She hastily placed her dinner on the coffee table in front of her and hid her face behind her hands just as her tears started to fall.

Hermione felt Charlie wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. She nestled awkwardly against his chest as she continued to sob into her hands.

“I’m so sorry, love,” Charlie murmured in her ear after a few minutes. “I shouldn’t have brought that tosser up.”

“No,” she sobbed into his jumper. “‘S’not your fault.” A deep breath. “...Haven’t had time to…” Another sniff. “Too busy.”

“What were you too busy with?” Charlie was obviously trying to distract her.

Hermione wiped at her cheeks and eyes. “Uh… just a thorough read through of a Centaur’s Law for Hogwarts. McGonagall wanted to hire another centaur for Divination. She needed to make sure they can’t be fired based on the fact that they’re not human, in case the Board of Directors had a fit.” A pause. “And then I happened to get completely sloshed with some dragon keepers and one of them offered me a job after we found a little dragon in Dorset.” She felt Charlie’s chest as it rumbled from laughter. “Then I had to make sure my replacement had all the proper parchment work to carry on without any issues. I really don’t want to have to go back there to sort it all out.” She cleared her throat before sighing. “And then there was just packing everything up.”

It had been a ridiculously taxing last few weeks for her.

“H-How is the little one?” Hermione asked him after a few more minutes of trying to regain control of her emotions. Her eyes wouldn’t stop leaking.

“Well… she had a Murtlap Essence pedicure like the spoiled dragon she now is,” Charlie murmured to her as he comfortingly began to run his fingers through her hair. “I had to trim her claws back a bit to get a better look at her feet. There’s something wrong with her back feet. It looks like there’s an untreated infection on both of them. An ingrown claw or two perhaps. Our healers are checking her out now.”

A sniff. “Is that why she was hobbling about when we found her?”

“Mmhmm.” Charlie sighed. “I’m not personally familiar with Hebridean Black dragons, I only know what I’ve read in books. I’ve got no actual practical experience with them, so I don’t know if it’s a regularly occurring issue with that breed or not.”

Hermione cleared her throat, pulled back slightly, and narrowed her eyes at Charlie. She thought about what she knew about the various breeds of dragons from working at the Ministry. “Because it’s the MacFusty clan who are the ones to look after them usually. Up in Scotland.” She had never spoken to them before but Harold, her former boss, had from time-to-time.

“Exactly.”

“Why didn’t they take her, then?” Hermione frowned. 

“They’ve no indication that they’re missing one of their dragons,” Charlie began quietly. He was now holding both of her hands and fiddling with her fingers. “They informed us that no infant or egg has gone missing as far as they’re aware. They’d like to do a thorough investigation of their sanctuary _and_ their temporary staff before they come to pick her up. Auror’s are even involved.”

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. “That would make sense, smuggling is a lucrative business.”

“It is,” Charlie agreed with her. He searched her eyes. “How’re you feeling now?”

Hermione broke eye contact with him, feeling self-conscious. “Better.” She swallowed, focusing on their clasped hands. “I apologise for getting emotional like that.”

“Nonsense. There’s no need to apologise, love.” His thumb rubbed her cheek as he gave her an understanding smile. “I’ve got some free time tomorrow. How about you and me take a trip to the village to get you a few things?”

“Is there a Wizarding village here?” She couldn’t remember what Andrei had told her earlier in the day. It had all been a bit of an information overload.

“Yep.” Charlie leaned back on the sofa and went back to eating his dinner. Hermione did the same. “It’s called Colțul Carpaților, and it’s similar to Diagon Alley, just a lot less shops in comparison. It’s nestled in the Muggle city, Săcele, that I told you about earlier.”

“Colțul Carpaților?” Hermione fumbled with the unfamiliar language.

Charlie grinned. “It means ‘Carpathian Corner’. The village is literally in the Northeast corner of the city. The Wizarding World isn’t very original with their names for things, even all the way over here.”

Hermione snickered before she took a sip of her hot chocolate. “I’d like to pick up a Romanian language book if that’s at all possible,” she said after a moment.

Charlie nodded his agreement. “You’ll need some gloves and boots too. A new coat as well, the one you’ve got is far too fancy for a place like this.”

Hermione grinned sheepishly. “I know. I was going for the ‘sophisticated young woman’ look when I purchased it back in London.” A pause. “Will I need new trousers as well? I noticed both you and Andrei are wearing the same kind.”

“Yeah. They’re quite durable.” A pause. _“And_ warm. There’s a shop for dragon keepers in the village, we’ll be able to find a bunch of stuff for you there.”

“Alright.” Hermione hid a yawn behind her hand. The excitement of the last week or so was beginning to make itself known. She was completely knackered. “I’m ready to turn in. Did you want me to help with the dishes?” 

Although, a quick _scourgify_ here and there was probably all she could muster this late in the evening.

Charlie waved her off. “I’ll do it. You should get your rest, love.” He stood up from the sofa and held out a hand to help her up.

“Charlie, you are _such_ a gentleman.” Hermione quipped as she let him pull her to her feet.

He gave her a roguish smile as he led her towards the second bedroom. “Only on special occasions.”

_“Oh?”_ Her interest peaked. “What’s the ‘special occasion’ for tonight?”

He raised a brow at her questioningly as he stopped just at her doorway. _“You.”_ He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You are the special occasion,” he informed her before taking a step back from her. “Have a good sleep, love. We’ll go for a small breakfast in the village tomorrow morning. There’s a coffee shop with amazing pastries and cappuccino. You’ll love it.”

Hermione could only grin at his offer. “I look forward to it. Goodnight, Charlie.” 

She watched her housemate step back into the small sitting room before softly closing her bedroom door. Her cheeks hurt from the silly grin that was painted on her face.

Yes, cappuccino and pastries tomorrow morning with Charlie sounded absolutely lovely indeed.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

“Do you have everything?” Charlie asked as Hermione finished tugging on her gloves and boots.

She gave him a curt nod as she rose to her feet. “Yep.” She patted the bag on her hip. “Lead the way, Charlie Weasley,” she said as she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow.

The two of them left the cabin and made their way along the path towards the Centre, the building in the middle of the sanctuary.

The snow was falling lightly. Huge, fluffy flakes were fluttering to the ground. The branches that curved over the pathway were hanging low due to the heavy snow piled on them. Their footsteps were muffled from the thick layer of snow on the ground.

Hermione couldn’t help the smile from spreading across her face. “Charlie, this is beautiful.” She quirked her head up at the redhead as they started up the steep incline.

Charlie was smirking down at her, amusement shining in his eyes. “It is, isn’t it? Makes it hard to leave sometimes.”

“I can believe that.” 

The two of them continued their early morning stroll in comfortable silence until they reached the entrance to the sanctuary at the edge of the wards.

“We’re off to the village, Lucas,” Charlie said in greeting to the guard tucked away in the warm entry booth.

“Sounds good, sir!” Lucas said as he jerked awake from a light slumber. “For how long, in case anyone asks?”

Hermione looked up at Charlie as he frowned in thought.

“The better part of the day,” he replied quietly. “I’m still on holiday until the end of the week. But if there are any issues that arise when I’m gone, send word my way.”

“Of course, sir.” Lucas waved his wand at the large gate while muttering an incantation under his breath, allowing them to leave the grounds and head out for an early breakfast. 

Charlie squeezed Hermione’s hand as they came to a stop a short distance from the gate. “Three, two, one.”

They Disapparated with a sharp _crack._

~ | ~

“Does Lucas always call you ‘sir’?” Hermione asked Charlie as she took a tentative sip of her cappuccino. “You don’t seem like the kind of bloke to insist on being called that.”

Charlie grinned as he shook his head and handed her the paper bag containing her gogoși before sitting down at the tiny table across from her. “I’m not, I swear… Lucas insists on calling all of us ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss’, no matter how often we tell him to call us by our given names.” He shrugged as he took a slurp of his own cappuccino. “Certain traditions are difficult to break for some people, I think.”

Hermione hummed in agreement. It was something she’d had firsthand experience of while working at the Ministry. She took another sip of her drink and gave Charlie a warm smile. “This cappuccino is delicious. I can see why you wanted to come here for a bit of breakfast.”

“The cappuccino _is_ delicious, but the gogoși is to die for,” Charlie insisted. “I got you a chocolate filled one. I hope that that’s alright.”

Hermione tugged the still-warm pastry out of the paper bag and peered at it adoringly. “I love chocolate.” She blinked at Charlie. “I am sure it’ll be wonderful.”

She took a bite of the Romanian donut, eyes growing in shock. It _was_ to die for. “Oh my gosh,” she hummed as she savoured the sweet taste. “It’s _so_ good!”

Charlie chuckled quietly at her enthusiasm as he began munching on his own food. “I don’t have these _too_ often, but I think they’re my favourite.”

“I can see why.” Hermione nodded as she took another bite. She chewed for a moment, then swallowed her food before washing it down with her cappuccino. “So… what is the plan for today?”

Frowning, Charlie took a moment before he responded. “I thought a quick stop by the Gringotts branch for some galleons. Afterwards, I think we should start off at the dragon keeper store I mentioned last night. Most stuff you’ll be able to pick up there – your clothing specifically.” A pause. “A word of warning though: your boots, gloves and trousers are going to be expensive, but they will last for years.”

Hermione nodded in understanding. “That’s fine. I should be able to afford it.” The money she had saved up from her Ministry job was more than enough to cover her cost of living here in Romania. That, and the monetary reward that she, Harry and Ron had all received from the Ministry of Magic the summer after the Battle of Hogwarts was still sitting untouched in her vault.

Charlie grinned at her. “You can also purchase _used_ boots and gloves, I did that when I started out here. They’re significantly cheaper in comparison. The temporary workers usually go for the used stuff as well, since they know they won’t be here for more than a few months at a time.”

Nodding slowly, Hermione sipped her drink, letting it swirl around her mouth for a moment before swallowing. “What do you think I should do?”

Charlie narrowed his eyes, pondering her question. “If you are in any way unsure about being a dragon keeper, I would go for all used gear. It’ll last for another year or two, at least. But, if you know for certain that this is what you want to do for a living, go for new as much as you can.” A pause. “I assume you’ve not spent almost the entirety of your reward like my baby brother has?” His annoyance at Ron was obvious in his tone.

Snorting, Hermione shook her head. “Nope. I’ve lived relatively cheaply since I graduated. Felt no need to purchase a fancy broom that I’d never use, or rent a flat with all the bells and whistles while still spending most of my time at the Burrow.” Her cozy one-bedroom flat had been the perfect home when she worked at the Ministry, no matter how often her friends had complained about it.

Charlie shook his head as he chuckled at her commentary. “I had no idea Ron bought a bloody broom… I thought it was just the flat and that hideous dragon-hide jacket.”

“Not just _any_ broom, a bloody _Nimbus 2004_ of all things!” Hermione huffed. “Harry didn’t even go for one of those to replace the Firebolt he got from Sirius. He just got another Nimbus 2000. Said it was more than enough.” She paused her rant for a moment. “How’d you know about his dragon-hide jacket? I’m quite sure he never wore it when you were around. He likely thought you’d tease him like Bill, Ginny and George have done every time he sports it. Harry too, on occasion. Percy as well, when he’s in the mood.”

“I saw it this past Christmas, actually.” Charlie grinned at her. “I think he’d forgotten that I’d be at the Burrow for a few days.” He popped the last of his gogoși in his mouth and chewed. “And of course I teased him. That jacket is the most ostentatious thing I’ve seen in awhile. Ron looks like he works at Wheezes with George and Lee, rather than as an Auror.” He took a sip of his drink.

“Your mum thinks he looks dashing.”

Charlie choked a bit on his cappuccino as he tried to control his laughter. “Yes… well… she would, wouldn’t she?”

Hermione snickered quietly while sipping on her drink and focused on what the two of them were speaking about before they’d gotten sidetracked. “I’ll see what the shop has in terms of used stuff, but I think I should be alright with purchasing everything new.”

Charlie nodded slowly. “Sounds like a plan.” He crumpled up the small paper bag and stood up from his chair, Hermione doing the same. “Let’s stop in at the bank,” Charlie told her quietly as they tossed their rubbish in the bin and waved goodbye to the baristas. “It’s at the far end of the village.”

Clasping Charlie’s hand with her own as they left the little coffee shop, Hermione couldn’t help but smile as the chilly air hit her cheeks.

She hadn’t felt this happy in a while. 

~ | ~

“Două ore,” the tiny seamstress informed Hermione as she read the measurements provided by her magical tape measure. “Cât de mult?”

Hermione looked to Charlie for advice. She wasn’t entirely certain what the seamstress was asking her.

Charlie hummed for a moment. “Trei, vă rog.”

The seamstress nodded as she made her way towards the fabric, motioning for Hermione and Charlie to follow.

“Ce culori?” The tiny woman asked Charlie, watching him expectantly.

“What colour of trousers would you like? Juliani will be making you three pairs.” Charlie translated for Hermione.

“Oh.” Hermione took a closer look at the piles of fabric. She pointed to a black spool of material.

Juliani gave Hermione a warm smile and a nod as she picked up the spool. “Negru,” she informed her pleasantly.

“Negru,” Hermione repeated. Tucking the translation away in her mind. She found some maroon-coloured fabric and indicated her second choice.

“Maro.” Juliani grabbed the second spool and tucked it in her arms.

Hermione hummed for a moment as she searched for a third colour. Spotting a dark grey fabric, she grabbed the spool and handed it to the seamstress.

“Gri.” Juliani gave Hermione an enthusiastic nod of her head and carried the items to the back of the shop, leaving her and Charlie standing at the table piled with fabric.

“Let’s find you some new gloves,” Charlie murmured in her ear.

“Alright.” Hermione followed Charlie to a different section of the Keeper shop.

“The gloves you’ve got for Care of Magical Creatures are nowhere good enough,” he began explaining to her. “I found that one out the hard way.” He chuckled as he pushed up his sleeve to show her a faint scar on his forearm.

“Charlie… what happened?” Hermione brushed her fingers over the long, narrow scar, taking in its smooth ridges. 

“I got a bit too close for comfort with a Longhorn that we were trying to corral away from a Muggle mining village not too far from here.” He threw her a grin. “My fault. I had taken his dinner away and the big guy was hungry. I had also turned my back to him for a second or two, which was incredibly foolish of me.”

He was reminding her of the dangers of her new profession. She couldn’t let her attention slide even for a moment.

Hermione swallowed before giving Charlie a nod of her head. “What gloves would you recommend then?” She asked him as they came to a stop in front of a wall of various dragon-hide gloves of varying colours and lengths. 

Humming quietly, Charlie reached for a pair of black Horntail hide gloves. “See how these feel for you. They’re going to be a bit stiff at first. It’ll take a few weeks for you to break them in.”

Peeling off her coat, Hermione handed it to Charlie to hold as she took the gloves from him and slipped them on.

They reached just past her elbows, ending with a slight flare.

“How’re those?” Charlie asked her as he folded her coat over an arm.

Hermione wiggled her fingers around and clenched her fists, noting the stiffness that Charlie had warned her about. “Where do I put my wand?” Having to reach into her glove to unclip it from her holster would be incredibly awkward for her to do if she ever needed it.

“Just here,” Charlie indicated, brushing the side of the glove and showing Hermione a mostly hidden holster attached to the sleeve.

“Oh.” Hermione couldn’t hide her surprise. It was camouflaged almost entirely with the scales. She grinned at Charlie. “I like them. They are a bit stiff… but overall they’re really comfortable.” 

She wiggled her fingers a little more, testing everything out.

Charlie smiled at her as he grabbed a larger pair for himself. “I need a pair as well, mine are worn out. These are probably the best gloves you can get. Expensive, but they’re worth it. I’ve only bought them a couple of times since I started here.”

Tugging off her gloves, Hermione followed Charlie over to the register where her other items were already waiting for her to purchase.

She had found a used pair of boots that fit her perfectly for half the price of what the new ones were going for. A new coat was folded up next to the boots; according to the sales assistant, it was water repellant and temperature adjusting. She had also found a cosy-looking, oversized jumper that she wanted to slip into as soon as she and Charlie returned to their cabin.

“Gloves?” The waiting clerk asked Hermione as they came to a stop at the register.

“Yes please.”

The clerk hummed for a moment as she added up Hermione’s purchases. “One coat, one _used_ boots, _trei_ trousers, jumper, Horntail gloves… it cost... two hundred galleons, fifty sickles.”

“Plus delivery to the sanctuary when the trousers are finished,” Charlie chimed in quietly from beside Hermione.

“By closing time…” The clerk paused for a moment as she searched the parchment on the desk for the price. “Add ten knuts.” She gave Hermione a kind smile.

Hermione exhaled slowly. Blinking a few times as she did the conversion in her head. It cost more than her sofa. “Alright.” She took out her coin purse and began taking out the appropriate amount.

“Mulțumesc,” the clerk muttered underneath her breath as Hermione handed her the change. “Lasts for two years,” she informed Hermione, gesturing to the receipt as she handed it to her.

Hermione nodded as she tucked the receipt into her bag and stepped aside to allow Charlie to purchase his new gloves.

She watched Charlie while he paid for his own purchase, as she pulled on her coat and gloves, before he turned and added his gloves to Hermione’s pile of belongings.

He muttered something quietly to the clerk that Hermione couldn’t make out before he led her out of the little shop.

“We still have to pick up a translation book for you,” Charlie said to her as he clasped her hand. He squeezed it gently as he led her down the lane past numerous shops. “Did you want to do that before or after I take you out for lunch?”

“You’re going to take me out for breakfast _and_ lunch?” Hermione couldn’t hide her surprise or her grin. 

Charlie chuckled, nodding at her question. “I am.” There was a short pause as he took a deep breath. “As a date, if that’s something you’ll agree with. As friends, and colleagues, if you don’t.”

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up from his proposition. She blinked shyly up at him. “Are co-workers allowed to date here? I would think there would be rules in place.” Although, as she said it, she remembered that two of Charlie’s colleagues, Barnaby and Emelie, were engaged. She had forgotten about them.

A slow grin spread on Charlie’s face. “There _are_ rules,” he conceded quietly. “But, not against colleagues dating. The rules are to keep everyone professional while we care for our lizards.”

_“Oh?”_

“No messing around while on the clock. No late night shagging sessions in the cages or territories.” He took a breath. “If there _is_ something going on between a couple – good or bad – it is asked that we put it aside during our shifts and deal with it privately.”

“Is that…” Hermione’s uncertainty was humming strongly. “Is that why you wanted me to work here? To have someone to shag on occasion?” She frowned at her choice of words. She knew Charlie wasn’t that kind of man. She merely wanted to understand his push to have gotten her here in Romania.

Charlie adamantly shook his head. “No. I wanted you here because you are a brilliant witch with a good heart, who’s quick on her feet. Your care for creatures is well-known throughout the Wizarding World, love. You’ve made a name for yourself beyond yours, Harry’s, and Ron’s adventures. The numerous magical creature propositions that you’ve sent to the Wizengamot _are_ being noticed, even if they aren’t being sworn into law right now.” He sighed as he scratched his cheek. “If I wanted someone to shag on occasion, I wouldn’t have asked for you to drop everything back home to keep me company. I respect you far more than that and I’m not that selfish.” He gave her a knowing grin. “There’s plenty of opportunity for an occasional shag here already at the sanctuary.”

“Is that a thing here?” Hermione knew her blush was on full display and tried to ignore it. “Everyone shagging one another?”

Charlie winced. “On occasion, our days can be really difficult. They can be painful and emotional,” he explained. “Sometimes the lizards we take in can’t be saved. Sometimes the little ones don’t make it very long after they hatch. Occasionally we get injured.”

“Sometimes, you need to find someone to lose yourself with,” Hermione supplied quietly in understanding. “To take off the edge. To forget everything for a night or two.”

Charlie nodded, but remained silent.

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she thought of Charlie’s offer. Narrowing her eyes at him, she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Alright. I’ll let you take me out for lunch as a date.” There was a beat as she gave him a smirk. “But first… _books.”_

A relieved bubble of laughter erupted out of Charlie’s chest. “Of course. I would expect nothing else coming from you.”

~ | ~

“Everyone… this is Hermione,” Charlie informed the mostly full table in the dining hall as he set down his tray of food. 

Hermione slipped in next to him and took a seat on the long bench. “Hello.”

Large grins greeted her. “Hello, Hermione!” A few of the keepers called out in greeting. She recognized Barnaby and Emilie who were both giving her a friendly wave.

A man who looked a few years older than Charlie wiped his hands on a napkin and held one out for Hermione to shake across the table of food. “Felix Rosier,” the man stated as he shook her hand firmly. “It’s a pleasure to have you here, Granger. We’ll go over a number of things when I’m back on the clock. Tomorrow or the day after.”

“Of course,” Hermione squeaked before clearing her throat. She was familiar with his family name. There was a Death Eater she had read about after the Second Wizarding War with the same last name.

“He’s my boss,” Charlie informed her as he settled onto the bench next to Hermione. “He’s the one who approved of your hiring.”

“Oh!” Hermione’s eyes grew. “Thank you, sir.” She felt bad for judging him. Perhaps he was only distantly related to the _other_ Rosier.

Felix chuckled. “No need to call me sir – Felix is enough. And there is no need to thank me either. Charlie wouldn’t shut up about you, I had to give in eventually, if only for some peace and quiet.”

The table chuckled as one and Hermione took a quick peek at Charlie, whose ears were pink in embarrassment as he grinned down at the table.

“How long did you have to put up with Charlie talking about me?” she asked Felix with a grin. She was curious to know how long the redhead had wanted her here.

She watched as Felix smirked before he took a bite of his dinner. “In all honesty? I didn’t hear a thing until just before the Battle of Hogwarts. He begged me to let him commandeer a handful of dragons for the battle.” Felix shrugged. “I assumed that my father was most likely there and thought I’d come clean to him about where I stood in regards to his beliefs about blood supremacy. Nothing says ‘Fuck You’ quite like a Vipertooth coming at you from above.”

Hermione blinked in shock at that information. “Thanks for doing that. I realise it can be difficult to make a stand against loved ones’ beliefs.”

Felix shook his head. “Don’t mention it. It was a long time coming.”

“Is it true you flew an Ironbelly out of your Gringotts Bank?” A strong-looking woman with a thick accent asked Hermione. 

Bulgarian if she wasn’t mistaken. It was similar to Viktor’s.

Hermione raised a brow at the question as she focused on the woman. “I did, yes. Along with Harry and Ron.” She swallowed. “We were cornered and needed a lift out of the lower levels.”

The woman grinned. “How was it? I have only ever dreamed of doing such a thing with an Ironbelly.”

“Only _you_ would dream of Ironbellies, Nadia,” Barnaby chimed in as he took a slurp of his drink.

The table chuckled once again, Hermione included.

Hermione thought back to the time in question, years earlier, in order to answer Nadia’s question. “It was…” She paused, searching for the right words. “It was absolutely terrifying.”

“Because of the attack from the guards or the threat of the dragon?” Another keeper asked her curiously while leaning forward in his seat.

Hermione frowned. “Both?” She swallowed. “The Ironbelly had obviously been tortured. He was blind and had apparently been taught to expect pain when these clankers were rattled around.” She paused for a moment. “But, once we got out of Gringotts the dragon was calm for the most part. I’m honestly not sure if he even knew three people were saddled up on its back.”

“If he was blind, he most likely could smell the three of you,” Nadia informed Hermione kindly. “He knew you were there.” She gave Hermione a warm smile. “Thank you for freeing him. You allowed him to have a few years of peace before he passed on.”

“Who’s idea was it to use the Ironbelly to get out of the bank?” Felix asked her curiously.

“Officially?” Hermione paused. “It was Harry’s idea. He paid the reparations to the bank after everything was said and done.” 

Not only had Harry made certain that she and Ron wouldn’t ever be punished for their actions, but he had also used a significant amount of the Black Family wealth from Sirius’ inheritance to pay for the repairs.

“And unofficially?” Another keeper asked her.

Charlie chuckled as he took a bite of his food. “My brother, Ron.”

“Of course he did!” Felix blurted out in exasperation as he slapped a hand on the rustic wooden table. “Nothing says ‘Weasley’ like commandeering a bloody dragon!”

“You’re the one who suggested the Vipertooths,” Charlie argued good-naturedly. “You even tagged along with us.”

“Yeah… because they’re the fastest lizard around and they are _my_ specialty.” Felix scoffed. “We couldn’t show up with a handful of Welsh Greens – they’re practically kittens in comparison to all the other lizards here. It would’ve been dreadfully embarrassing,” he said snootily, rolling his eyes in disbelief before smirking at Hermione and giving her a wink.

Hermione snickered at his response as the rest of the table laughed.

She began picking away at her food as the remainder of the keepers began their introductions. She took note of each person’s name and area of expertise. She would be working with every person here and wanted to know everything she could before her training was to start.

* * *

**Translations:**

_Două ore_ \- Two hours.

 _Cât de mult?_ \- How many?

 _Trei, vă rog_ \- Three, please.

 _Mulțumesc_ \- Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

“Your training will be mostly classroom-based for the first couple of weeks,” Felix informed Hermione as he leaned back in his chair. “Just standard stuff you should know about the lizards here, rules and procedures. It’s mostly just a rundown of what’s expected of you and what isn’t allowed. Most of it’s common sense, but there’s always that one person that doesn’t seem to have any, so we need to cover everything just in case something happens.” He gave her a warm smile. “Sound good?”

Hermione nodded eagerly as she sat in the only other chair in the small office. “Absolutely.”

Felix gestured to a stack of folders on his desk. “I’ve got a few dozen CV’s that I’ll need to read through over the next few weeks or so. I’ll be hiring, at most, six temporary workers for the breeding season.” He hid a yawn behind one of his hands before continuing, “What we normally do is have the temp workers do most of the grunt work while they’re paired off with a keeper. In your case, because of the timing of your hiring and the length of your training, we will have you shadowing a keeper initially and then have a temp worker tagging along with the two of you.”

“I can do grunt work as well,” Hermione insisted. She didn’t want any special treatment, regardless of Charlie’s push to have her here.

Felix grinned at her. “You will, I promise. We all do. It’s just that during breeding season, the dragons tend to be more aggressive and territorial so our focus needs to be entirely on them. We can’t risk a keeper shoveling dragon dung in one of the cages when our girls are nesting. We’d be cooked and eaten in a heartbeat.” He frowned. “Having an extra set of hands allows us to properly care for our dragons and check for any injuries or health issues, while the temps help us keep everything clean and the dragons well fed.” He paused. “I mean, they supply the dragons  _ with _ their meals, not that they  _ are _ the meals.”

Hermione snickered. “I knew what you meant.”

“Good.” Felix chuckled. “Any questions at all?”

“Shadowing a keeper?” Hermione paused, searching for the right words. “How do you decide who I’m shadowing? I assume each keeper has a specific area of expertise.”

“We do, yes.” Felix opened a drawer, pulled out a thick book and handed it to Hermione. “We all help out everywhere. However, if one of our Vipertooths gets hurt or sick, I’m the one calling the shots. If a Horntail is injured or ill, Charlie’s the boss of us all as we try to find a way to help the dragon. With Ironbellies, it’s Nadia who you met a couple of nights ago.”

Hermione nodded at the information. 

“That book outlines the responsibilities that a keeper has with each breed. It’s a ridiculous amount of information, but it doesn’t hurt to read anyway.” Felix cleared his throat. “You’ll be shadowing numerous keepers for the first six to nine months you’re here, to try to get a feel for everything. Each one of us has our own style of how we do things. Over the history of this sanctuary, it’s been found that when we pay attention to the different styles of keeping, we make fewer mistakes later on when we are on our own.” He took a breath before continuing, “Because you’ve decided to continue to share a cabin with Charlie, you’ll be on the same shift rotation as him. When he is working days, you’ll be on days as well. When he moves over to nights, you will be too.”

“To make certain we remain alert during our shifts,” Hermione murmured quietly as she took a quick peek at the cover of the book she was handed. It was entitled  _ A Keeper’s Guide,  _ and was written by the founder of the sanctuary, Harvey Ridgebit.

“Exactly.”

A loud, chirping alarm sounded three short bleeps.

“What’s that?” Hermione clutched the book tightly.

Felix was already rising from his seat. “An assistance call in Youngling Care. Sofia needs some help.” He threw on his coat and tugged on his gloves as Hermione stood up from her own chair. “Come… let’s see what the issue is.” 

Setting the book down on the desk, Hermione followed Felix out of the office, zipping up her coat as they rushed through the hallway leading out of the Centre and towards the nearby Youngling Care section of the sanctuary.

The Youngling Care section was similar to what Hermione remembered from her visits to the zoo when she was a small child. There were a handful of enclosures that housed a few infant dragons. She spotted a young Welsh Green with some thick paste on its left wing, resting soundly on a bed of moss.

“What’s the problem?” Felix asked as soon as he and Hermione reached a young woman with her wand drawn standing in front of another enclosure.

The woman – Sofia, Hermione assumed – shook her head at Felix’s question. “The Hebridean Black is really agitated. She’s nipping at one of her hind legs.”

“Stay here,” Felix ordered Hermione as he unclipped his wand from the holster on his glove.

Peering over Felix and Sofia’s shoulders as they prepared to enter the enclosure, Hermione spotted the dragon she had first seen a couple of weeks earlier curled up and biting down on its left hind leg.

“What the fuck?” Felix swore as he got into position with his wand at the ready. “Three, two, one.” He muttered an incantation Hermione had learnt from her research on various wards before the Horcrux hunt; it would temporarily allow someone to pass through various protective enchantments.

Felix and Sofia slipped through the wards and into the dragon’s enclosure just as the gate leading into the area opened up, admitting Charlie and Emilie.

Hermione turned her attention back to the troubled dragon as it squealed in pain. 

“Stop eating yourself, you daft girl,” Felix calmly suggested to the youngling as he carefully pried her leg from her mouth. 

“What happened?” Charlie questioned Hermione once he and Emilie reached her.

Hermione shook her head. “Sofia said the dragon’s really agitated and keeps biting her leg.”

“It’s the infection,” Emilie said as she stepped a bit closer to the enclosure. “It must be a lot worse than we thought initially.” She quirked her head as she attempted to get a better view of the left hind leg. “Check to see if there’s any inflammation,” she told Felix. “We’d gotten it under control earlier, but perhaps it’s flared up once again.”

“She’s been scratching at the ground,” Felix muttered, shaking his head. “It’s difficult to see anything – her legs and feet are filthy.”

Sofia filled a bucket with some soapy water and tossed in a rag before making her way closer to Felix and the dragon.

“Let’s have a look-see, shall we?” Felix grabbed the bucket of water from Sofia. “Watch her,” he sternly ordered the other keeper. “I don’t want to get kicked into the wall. It’ll sting if she’s got any open wounds hidden underneath her scales.”

“Muzzle?” 

“Please.”

Hermione watched as a metal guard was snapped in place around the dragon’s mouth and jaw. It looked like a larger, more robust muzzle that dogs were sometimes forced to wear.

A short puff of smoke shot out the dragon’s nostrils.

Charlie tugged Hermione aside and out of the direct path of any potential flames.

“Easy,” Sofia calmly said as she patted the cheeks of the dragon and peered into its brilliant purple eyes. “There’s no reason to fight back, beautiful. We’re only trying to see what’s wrong with your leg.” She started softly humming to the youngling as she tickled underneath its chin. “After Felix is all finished, I’ll feed you some lovely venison. And I’ll even give you a nice scale rub… how does that sound? Hmmm?”

“I’m about to wash her leg.” Felix warned the other keepers as he dipped the rag in the bucket of water a few times.

The dragon’s leg jerked as soon as the water touched her foot; she was squealing in pain as Felix began washing it with his soapy rag.

“Easy,” Sofia soothed the youngling as she rubbed underneath its chin. “I know it hurts sweetheart… but, we need to clean your foot. We need to see what’s the matter.”

“Watch the tail!” Charlie yelled out just as it swept over Felix’s head.

Felix dropped to his stomach and swore loudly as the tail came back around, this time missing his head by a lesser margin. The bucket of water was clipped instead, sending it and its contents flying into the far wall.

“Okay! No water then!” Felix yelled out. “Time to sedate!”

“On it!” Sofia grabbed a long, clear hose that was attached to a medium-sized barrel. She jammed the end of the hose into the dragon’s mouth and flicked her wand at the barrel. A measured portion of a dark-coloured liquid was quickly sucked up by the dragon.

“What’s that?” Hermione asked Charlie as they watched from outside the enclosure.

“Sleeping draught,” Charlie informed her while still keeping tabs on the proceedings only a few feet away.  _ “Dragon-strength _ sleeping draught. It’s only used on younglings when they get like this.”

“We also knocked her out for the flight here,” Emilie told Hermione quietly as she took a step back from the enclosure. “Couldn’t risk her breaking free. She doesn’t have full use of her wings yet. That happens after about a year or so of life for Hebridean Blacks.”

Hermione nodded at the information but otherwise remained silent as she watched the little dragon flop over heavily onto her side.

“Keep the muzzle on for now,” Felix told Sofia as he dusted himself off. He turned slightly to look at Emilie. “Did you want to have a look now?”

Emilie nodded as she waved her wand to disable the wards before slipping into the enclosure with the other two keepers.

“Emilie’s one of the keepers in charge of this dragon,” Charlie told her quietly.

“Because she was there when the dragon was rescued?” Hermione quirked her head in question.

Charlie nodded. “Yep. Barnaby’s in charge as well, but he’s paying a visit to the reserve in Scotland at the moment. We need to work out the best time to send her back. There’s a ton of parchment work that needs to be completed before we can do that.”

“What about the investigation?” Hermione asked him quietly. “Have you heard anything?”

Charlie frowned and shook his head as he crossed his arms. “No, nothing yet.” He sighed. “I have a feeling we will be getting a visit from whoever’s looking into it.”

Hermione blinked, thinking about what she had learned from Harry and Ron about Auror investigations. “I agree. They’ll need witness statements from you, Emilie and Barnaby in regards to that night.”

“From you as well,” Charlie reminded her. “You were there too.”

Hermione hummed. “True.”

Felix made his way out of the enclosure, dusting himself off once again. “Blister disease,” he told Hermione and Charlie with a grimace. “Her back leg is a mess. We’re lucky she didn’t rupture any of the blisters under her scales with her munching.”

“What if she had?” Hermione needed to brush up on her knowledge about dragon illnesses and made a mental note to read the healing book she had seen on Charlie’s bookcase a few days earlier.

“It would lead to scale rot,” Felix told her. “If left untreated, it can travel into the bloodstream and destroy the internal organs.”

“And if that happens: eventual death,” Charlie finished quietly.

“Eventual?” Hermione couldn’t hide the grief in her tone.

The two keepers nodded. 

“There’s no coming back from scale rot once it enters into the bloodstream,” Felix told her. “It’s not a fast-moving illness either which makes it rubbish to watch happen.” He sighed. “I gotta let the other reserve know that we will need to delay the trip back until their dragon is fully healed. I’ll bring you that book you left in my office after I’ve floo’ed them, is that alright?” he asked Hermione.

She nodded. “Of course.”

Felix rubbed his face with a gloved hand and gave Hermione a curt nod before turning abruptly and rushing out of the Youngling Care area and towards the Centre to inform the other reserve.

“Emilie and Sofia have this handled,” Charlie told her quietly. “Did you want to grab some lunch in the dining hall?”

Hermione clutched her stomach as it growled. “Please.” She looped her arm with Charlie’s and the two of them made their way out of Youngling Care and towards the Centre for a bite to eat.

~ | ~

Hermione frowned as she stirred the pot of hot chocolate that was slowly heating up on the hob. Reading up on the numerous illnesses that dragons could potentially succumb to had put her in a depressed mood. She was hoping that a mug of her favourite drink would help alleviate her worry. 

She had just come from her bedroom, after changing into her comfy oversized jumper, leggings and wooly socks, and was looking forward to spending some time in front of the fire.

“Is everything alright?” Charlie murmured in her ear.

Hermione jumped slightly at the question; she hadn’t heard Charlie come into the cabin. She nodded as she twisted around to get a better look at him. “Yeah… just thinking.”

There was a low hum from the redhead as he reached up to the top shelf of the cupboard to grab himself a mug.

Hermione bit her lip as she watched his jumper ride up slightly, allowing her a small peek of his stomach. Her lips quirked into a small smile as she spotted the tattooed tail of a Hungarian Horntail curl over his left hip.

“About the little one?” Charlie asked her as he placed his mug next to her own on the countertop.

“Hmmm?” Hermione blinked, then nodded, clearing her head. “Yeah… I’ve been reading up on the numerous illnesses that dragons can get.”

Charlie lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look into his eyes. “She’ll be fine. I promise.”

“But, scale rot’s really serious,” Hermione insisted, trying desperately to ignore the fluttering in her stomach from Charlie’s soft touch, as minor as it was.

A slow grin spread across Charlie’s face as he tucked her hair behind an ear. “It is,” he conceded. “But, she doesn’t have scale rot just yet, only blister disease.” He moved his hands down her shoulders and over her arms before stopping them at her waist. He tugged her a bit closer to him. “She’s being treated by experts and will heal in no time. I promise.” 

Charlie’s intense gaze caused heat to pool in Hermione’s belly. 

Her breath caught as her eyes drifted down his face, watching as his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. Her hands found themselves on his chest, brushing lightly against the scratchy wool of his jumper as she brought them up to cup his face.

Hermione’s heart fluttered to a halt as she and Charlie inched even closer together. Her lips parted, welcoming Charlie’s warmth as it washed over her entirely. The softness of his lips were a contradiction of his firm frame; he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her tightly against him.

She couldn’t help but groan as one of Charlie’s hands pulled at her hair. His mouth travelled across her cheek to her earlobe, before settling on the crook of her bare neck. He gently pushed her against the counter and pressed up against her.

Humming as she revelled in the sensation, Hermione let her hands wander over Charlie’s body, taking stock of anything she could touch, everything she could feel. Her fingers slipped underneath his jumper, feeling his smooth skin and the heat radiating from his body. 

Their mouths met once again. The taste of him nearly silenced all of her thoughts.

_ Nearly. _

Hermione pulled back abruptly. “The hot chocolate!” She blurted out to a confused Charlie and stood on her tiptoes to peer over his shoulder. The pot on the hob was steaming.

A low chuckle erupted from Charlie’s throat as he waved his wand at the steaming mixture causing the wooden spoon to stir the hot chocolate on its own. “Magic,” he murmured as he claimed her mouth once again, more intense and hungrier than before.

Hermione felt his hardness growing as he pressed his hips firmly against her stomach. She mewled quietly as he rocked gently against her, and squeaked as he lifted her up to sit on the counter.

Widening her legs to allow Charlie to come closer, Hermione peered into his darkened eyes. The darkest blue she’d ever seen. “Charlie,” she gasped breathlessly. She needed this. Needed him.

A roguish grin spread across his face while his hands tugged at her hair. “Say that again,” he ordered her as his hands travelled down her body, and slipped underneath her thighs. 

“Charlie,” Hermione whispered as they melted into one another.

It was as if time had stopped and nothing else existed. No dragons. No worries. Nothing but the two of them. Together at last.

A sharp pounding on the cabin door caused Hermione to jump and Charlie to pull back just as the door was pushed open.

“Charlie!” Felix yelled out. “Your little brother and his partner-in-crime are here!” 

Hermione could hear the amusement in his tone. She twisted around to take in her new boss standing in the door frame. 

He had a sly grin on his face and was wiggling his eyebrows at the two of them as Ron and Harry poked their heads out from behind the tall dragon keeper.

_ “Fucking Ron,” _ Charlie muttered under his breath as he rubbed his face and adjusted himself with his free hand before stepping away from Hermione, who was still sitting on the counter.

_ “Hermione?” _ Ron greeted her in shock. “What’re you doing here?”

Hermione spun around on her bum and faced her two friends. “I work here now, Ronald. Start next week, as a matter of fact.” She gave him a tight smile as she straightened out her jumper and fixed her hair.

“She left us both a note,” Harry said to Ron, his tone incredulous. “Did you not read her goodbye letter?”

Harry’s obvious annoyance with Ron surprised Hermione. She shared a look with Felix who was comically frowning at the two Aurors from where he stood behind them.

“Well I… we’ve been busy,” Ron insisted. “I didn’t get a chance to read through everything.”

“You’re here to ask us about the dragon in Dorset?” Charlie’s tone was curt as he cut right to the chase.

Harry gave him a nod. “We think it may be tied in with our smuggling case that led us to Madrid. We need to get as much detail as possible from the two of you. We’ve already spoken with Barnaby earlier today at the Scottish reserve.”

Hermione hopped off of the counter, moved to the living area and took a seat on the sofa. “Of course.” She cleared her throat. “How’d Madrid go for the both of you? You were still gone when I left.”

Harry raised a brow at her and shook his head. “We got recognised after a week and a half of watching these guys. My name’s famous apparently.” He sighed, rolling his eyes. “But… that’s neither here nor there. It will be dealt with later on.”

_ Oh Harry.  _ She understood his annoyance now. Ron, or someone else on the team, had slipped up and called him by his real name. It wasn’t the first time it had happened either.

“There’s some hot chocolate on the hob if you’d like,” Charlie offered their two guests.

Harry peered at Hermione with the hint of a smile on his face. 

“It’s probably a bit burnt,” she admitted to him quietly as Ron made his way into the kitchen to grab himself a mug.

Harry chuckled. “And how did that happen, I wonder?” His emerald eyes were dancing in amusement.

“Shut up, Harry.” Hermione playfully slapped his arm.

Felix grinned as he placed  _ A Keeper’s Guide  _ on the coffee table. “Is it alright if I stick around to listen in?” he asked Harry as Ron returned with his mug of hot chocolate.

“Of course,” Harry gave him a curt nod of his head. He waited until Ron found himself a place to sit before he looked between Charlie and Hermione. “Can the two of you walk us through what transpired the evening of the eleventh of March?” He had just finished setting up his Self-Writing quill and notebook.

“I was drinking at the Leaky Cauldron with a few of my mates, catching up,” Charlie began. “Hermione was there as well. She’d been waiting for a few hours for two of her closest friends to arrive, or at least give word that they were busy, but for some reason they must’ve forgotten.”

Harry winced at Charlie’s sharp reprimand.

“After a few dozen drinks and some greasy pub food, an older bloke stumbled into the pub asking for a dragon keeper. Said there was a dragon on the loose in Dorset.” Charlie frowned as he looked thoughtfully at Hermione. “Emilie, Barnaby, Hermione and myself all left the pub to deal with the dragon.”

“After downing some sober-up potion,” Hermione added hastily. She wasn’t sure if Charlie would be in trouble if it was found out he’d been completely sloshed during the rescue.

“Yeah, after that.” Charlie sighed, rubbing his face. “We Apparated to a location a few kilometers outside of Christchurch. The dragon, an infant Hebridean Black female, was being accosted by a handful of wizards. A few of them had wands drawn, the rest had pitchforks and spears. I told them to leave, that we would handle it.” He paused. “They didn’t need to be told twice. They fled into the night. We were able to gain control of the infant quite quickly. Hermione had the wherewithal to find the dragon a sheep to munch on.” He cleared his throat. “We were able to place the infant in temporary bindings while we waited for four more keepers to arrive from this sanctuary with the appropriate tools for long-distance travel. We were out of there by about six o’clock in the morning.”

“Can you describe the old bloke that stumbled into the pub?” Ron asked his brother quietly as he placed his half-drunk mug down on the coffee table.

“Big, fat guy with a massive belly and long beard,” Hermione told the redhead. “I’d say… maybe sixty… I don’t think he was ancient or anything.”

“He had a limp,” Charlie told the room. “Bad knee it looked like… left knee.”

Hermione hadn’t noticed that particular detail.

“Did he Apparate with you four, or just tell you where to go?” Harry questioned them.

“Apparated with us. I saw him hobbling towards the other wizards after we’d arrived,” Hermione informed him.

“Did you get a good look at the other wizards?” Ron was leaning forwards in his chair.

Hermione frowned. She had been focused mostly on the dragon thrashing about and not the men. She shook her head. “I don’t remember anything specifically.”

“Me neither.” Charlie was watching her closely. “There might’ve been four of them… or five, plus the pub guy.”

“They all ran when Charlie told them to get the fuck away from the dragon,” Hermione told the room.

“Why didn’t you just tell them to stand aside?”

Felix sighed at the question. “Attacking an infant dragon with spears and pitchforks would’ve likely led to fatal wounds for both the attackers and the dragon. It was a lose-lose situation that needed to be fixed rather quickly. Getting those men out of the sight of the infant allowed my keepers to gain control of the situation without harming anyone any further.” He crossed his arms across his chest. “I assume the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has more than enough resources to track those smugglers down. It’s not my keeper's job to do it for you.”

“You’re right, it’s not.” Harry gave Felix a curt nod. “They’re just slimy bastards, that’s all. They’ve been able to cover their tracks exceptionally well until now. Dorset was a mistake, I think.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione couldn’t hide her curiosity.

“A former keeper from the Hebridean Reserve was found about six months ago floating down the Thames,” Ron informed her quietly. “It’s likely that the infant you guys saved was used as bait to get access to another keeper.”

“But, instead of one keeper at the pub, there were three of us, plus Hermione.” Charlie frowned. “What did you tell them when they floo called here asking for help?” he asked Felix.

“That one of our keepers should be at the Leaky Cauldron having drinks. It was the quickest way for us to help.” Felix sighed. “Didn’t think anything was really out of the ordinary until I heard from Emilie that it was a Hebridean Black infant.”

Charlie rubbed his face. “They were preparing to get another egg when breeding season starts up again in the late summer.”

“Eggs, plural,” Ron corrected quietly. “We’ve found evidence in Madrid that there’s an underground reserve of sorts somewhere in Britain selling eggs and other stuff to whoever wants to pay.”

“What kind of eggs?” Felix asked alertly. “Do you know the breeds?”

“Hebridean Black and Antipodean Opaleye apparently.” Harry frowned. “We asked the keepers at the reserve in Scotland when we paid them a visit.”

Felix scratched his chin in thought. “You said ‘former keeper’. How long ago did that bloke work at the Hebridean Reserve?”

“Four years,” Harry informed him. “And he was only ever a temporary worker. They just never got around to changing their wards since he last worked there.”

Felix nodded slowly. “We change ours after every breeding season ends. That’s most likely why the smugglers have only gotten access to those two types of dragon eggs, Hebridean and Antipodean. They’ve no way of getting into our sanctuary.” He shook his head. “Those lazy fuckers.”

  
  



End file.
